Promises to be Kept
by ClicheBlonde
Summary: "Sokka was going to get better! Right? Takes place about 6-7 years after war! Does NOT follow LOK story line!" A short story I wrote in about 15 minutes- Drama, Angst, Romance, DRAMA. R & R for more! Still deciding whether or not to turn this into a story? Rated "T" for character death and slight romance *Tokka/ Kataang* -Not finished-


**_I had like A LOT of fun writing this, and I don't even know why. It was just a way for me to get some sad emotions out of the way. Hope you guys like it. Review if you think this should be a story? 3 reviews and then I will- :) So review! *DRAMA- RATED T*_**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ATLA OR THE CHARACTERS- STORY WAS WRITTEN BY CLICHEBLONDE! **

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Sokka let out a deep, hoarse cough. He started choking and was soon into another coughing fit. Katara rushed to his side and helped him to a sitting position.

"Take a breath." Katara said rubbing her brothers back. He shook from the cough and the sobs that escaped his throat. Sokka gasped and grabbed at his chest. Katara closed her eyes as tears slid down her tan cheeks. "You can do it, take a breath."

He managed to take back control of his breathing and he took a long breath in, and then out. He let out one more cough before laying his head back down. His breathing was raspy, and slow.

"He's okay, you can come back over." Katara said brushing the hair out of her face.

Slowly, a young girl stood up from her seat in the corner. Her long, thick black hair hung down to her back and into her eyes. She stared aimlessly down at the floor and walked over to the bed.

"That one wasn't too bad," Katara said eyeing her brother carefully, "Huh Sokka?" The water bender gave a halfhearted smile before taking ahold of Sokka's hand.

"I know," Toph said wiping a tear from her cheek, "Just hearing it. It hurts."

Sokka rolled over with a look of pain on his face. He grabbed Toph's hand with a weak grip and kissed the top of her hand. She laid down, and the two were face to face. Without being asked, Katara stood up and escorted herself out of the room.

"Everything's going to be okay." Sokka whispered, the words burning the inside of his raw voice.

Toph let sobs shake her small body. She inched closer to Sokka and buried her head in his chest. Listening to the slow, raspy breaths. She winced and placed her hand on his chest.

"Promise?" She whispered between cries.

Sokka lifted her chin with his shaky fingers. She looked blindly at his face, and he looked her in her eyes. He rubbed his thumb in circles on her porcelain cheek. He kissed her forehead.

"Promise." He forced a painful smile.

She rolled over and snuggled her way under the blankets. She cuddled into the curve of his body and he wrapped a strong arm around her waist. He inhaled the soft smell of her hair. Sokka laid his forehead into her neck and the two fell asleep.

"How is he?" Aang asked as Katara walked into their room.

"He's not going to make it." Katara whispered through a shaky voice.

She walked slowly over to the bed in the middle of the room and sat on the edge. She ran her fingers through her hair and took a deep breath. Aang walked quietly over to Katara.

"I tried everything…" She said so quiet, it was nearly inaudible.

Her lip quivered slightly before she erupted into sobs. She plopped down on the bed and shook her head.

"I promised my dad when he passed, that I would keep all of us safe. Sokka, Toph, and you! I can't break that promise!" She pressed her hands over her eyes.

"You didn't break that promise, Katara." Aang said sitting down beside her. He pulled the tan girl close to him and talked into her hair, "And you never will."

"How is this keeping him safe?" The water bender cried, looking up at Aang with tears stained to her face.

"You couldn't prevent it, nor could you cure it."

"I don't want him to go." She steadied her breathing and sat up.

"I know." Aang pulled Katara into a tight embrace, "None of us do." He kissed her head and pulled back to look her in the eyes.

"What about Toph?" Katara asked, pulling away plastered strands of wet hair from her face.

"What do you mean?"

"She was going to tell everyone once Sokka got better…"

"Tell everyone what?"

"She's pregnant." Katara said quietly, a small smile forcing its way past her lips.

"W-W-what?" Aang's gray eyes widened, "Toph is pregnant?"

"Yah." Katara's smile vanished, "What are we going to do?"

"Pray." Aang said taking hold of Katara's cold hands, "Pray that Sokka gets better."

-Time pass—

"Sokka," Toph whispered.

The silence of the night erupted as crickets, and rain danced outside.

"Huh?" Sokka moaned through a slight cough.

"I'm pregnant." She hesitated slightly before interrupting the noise of the night.

"What?" Sokka turned around quickly within the sheets.

"I'm pregnant." She repeated letting a small smile slip by her lips.

Sokka remained silent, but took both of Toph's hands into his. He kissed up her arm until her reached her neck. He kissed her lips passionately, and pulled away. He smiled at the beautiful girl before him. He put his face into the pillow beneath his head as he let out a gasping cough. The tan boy sat up as the cough turned into yet another fit. Toph sat up next to him and took back his hand. She sat patiently as this fit lasted younger than usual.

"Katara!" Toph called standing up out of bed. Her baggy pants dragged across the stone floor. Toph's face turned red, and she started to cry. "Katara!" She yelled.

Katara ran through the door and to her brother's side. Katara laid the still coughing Sokka back down. She held his hand tightly. Aang watched from the doorway, and cringed with every harsh cough.

"Come sit with him, Toph." Katara said closing her eyes.

Sokka continued letting out heart wrenching coughs. After 10 minutes, his coughs became quieter and dragged out as his lungs rattled under his chest. Toph sat, crisscrossed on the bed with Sokka's hand intertwined with hers. Tears fell from her cheeks as Sokka slowly drifted off.

"I will always love you," Sokka whispered to Toph, "And I will always love this baby." He lifted his hand to Toph's abdomen and placed it gently over her belly.

He let out a final, long cough before drifting into an endless sleep. Toph felt his heartbeat stop and she burst into tears. Katara slammed her eyelids shut and shook as tears poured out of her eyes. Aang took a breath and walked towards Toph. He took her hand and got her off the bed. Her body shook fiercely as her small frame was taken over with sobs. Aang got Toph out of the room and went back to Katara.

"He's not hurting anymore." Aang said letting tears fall down his own cheeks, "I promise."

Katara reluctantly walked out of the room with Aang. After getting the two girls into another part of the house, Aang went back to Toph's room. He walked through the door and nearly broke down when he saw the lifeless body of his dear friend. The airbender walked over to the edge of the bed, and cried.

"Spirits, take him with open arms. Treat him well, please. He deserves it." Aang took the sheet and pulled it up and over Sokka's pale face. "We love you Sokka." Aang whispered before exiting the room.


End file.
